Weekending

Good morning

Oh what a difference a few days makes - we were so lucky here in Suffolk at the weekend, sunshine and shorts weather. Yesterday was yuck - wet, very wet for most of the day - I managed to get out to see my Grandma during a break in the showers and timed the walk back well too.

I love weekends - always have done - as a child it was a break from school and now as an adult its a break for work and housework. Weekends for me are for nicer stuff - time with friends & family, a spot of gardening, more time to cook different things and of course a good wander and rummage around the car boot sales and charity shops.

Here's a few bits from recent weeks;

 I think you've seen the little painted tray on the right before? I found the little one with daises on a few weeks ago and finally yesterday both were hung on the kitchen wall. Had one of those minor diy days - hanging pictures, attached hooks to doors and hanging new curtains.

 Sundays boot sale was great - big without being too much. The vintage Famous Five book was a must - my favourite story of theirs which I remember reading over and over as a child during the school hols. 

Brand new Cath Kidston flip flops - just £3 - ideal for slopping around the garden in.

This little enamel pot was a CS find - it will be perfect for when come Autumn it will be often just me and little son for dinner - might help me learn to scale my cooking down from dinner for 3 to just 2!!

Another weekend favourite thing is when the boys and I are all at home - happens less and less these days as we all have busy social lives. However the other weekend it happened AND the weather was lovely - time to drag out a new toy of mine - a fire pit;

 As you can see this was before the garden had a jolly good tidy up!

It was lovely sitting there - cooking dinner and then afterwards toasting marshmallows.

One last favourite weekend thing this time of year - sitting in the sunshine with a book or magazine - and when it all gets too warm - time to retreat into the shade of the apple tree;

Thanks for reading. Time to have a wander around blogland then get myself sorted. Off out later today - one of my favourite things - a gig with friends.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

3 @ No6 - settling in rather well.

Afternoon

Well nothing for ages and then 2 posts in 2 days and photos taken for another!! Blimey not quite sure whats happened - perhaps its the sunshine?

We've been very lucky here in Suffolk and its been a mostly lovely this weekend. I've spent time with some of my family - sitting in the sunshine yesterday at one sisters and today I've been to the big local boot sale with another. Have some purchases to show you another day.

Thanks for the welcome back. I thought I'd show you how well we've settled into our new home - been here 9 months now and it feels forever. All the big expensive jobs have been done and there is decorating which needs doing which should start to happen once exams are over and teenagers are about to help with the heavy lifting and high up bits!!

Have spent the last few weekends trying to get on top of the gardening - apart from a quick lawn cut nothing really happened when we moved in and there have been 9 months of weeds to clear - slowly getting there and now the fun bit of adding colour can happen.

 The patio got jet washed and we have been eating out here lots. The hammock is permanently outside so power naps can happen when it all gets too much!

 I forgot to take a picture when the apple tree was in blossom - trust me - it was gorgeous. See the bottom of the garden? Those are raspberries - going to be a bumper crop if we beat the birds!!

 A car boot sale purchase this morning - Norbert the Gnome - I love these little fellas - he's the first of many I hope for this garden.

Tomatoes growing in a sunny sheltered corner.

 Even the boring fence panels have started to get prettied up - strings of bunting to brighten the view from the kitchen window.

Now inside - I took these pics this morning and then spent this afternoon, tweaking things, moving things about and hanging more things on the walls! I am getting a dab hand with a hammer - tempted to buy a drill soon and learn how to use that!!

 The dining room is a sunny spot - I spent hours in here the other day getting reacquainted with my sewing machine. I bought muslin months ago to make new 'nets' for the front room - finally I hemmed it and they are up. More muslin to get tomorrow as my bedroom needs new 'nets' too. I've ordered some gorgeous red velvet curtains so when all is done I can show that space off to you.

 Still my favourite room - the front room. One sofa died and a second armchair was acquired - now both boys are happy and have man-chairs - complete with crocheted and handmade cushions and quilts!! This is one room which needs painting - we had to replace the radiator in January and the new  one doesn't cover the old space.

 My spot - complete with reading pile, project bags and my ipad.

 The ever growing photo wall - still space left and I've loads more pictures to get printed and framed.

 For once the fireplace is almost tidy!

The fireplace in the kitchen got shelved out and its proved most useful - I can fit so much stuff on there - must just paint the wall behind it one day!!

See that flowery thing to the side? Well its going to get used now - the ironing mountain is rather huge and I want to wear some of it this week!!!

See you soon with some pretty car boot bargains to share and (hopefully) pictures of a rather lovely WIP new skill I am learning!!

xxx Vicki xxx

Hello again

Good morning

Well that didn't last long - nearly 3 months away from blogland and a little look to see whats been happening and reading a few favourite blogs again and here I am - resizing photos and trying to condense the past 3 months into one managable post!!

Things have been busy here at No6 - both boys have been working hard towards exams - Big Son is doing A Levels with a view towards leaving home and going to Uni in September and Little Son is almost through his GCSEs and is planning on going to 6th form in September. Both are also preparing for end of school Proms - can't wait to see both my boys all smartened up and ready to party with their friends and girlfriends.

Anyhow - where did we leave off? Oh beginning of March - here's what happened afterwards;

I had a birthday and was thoroughly spoilt - flowers, balloons, cake and 2 nights out with friends. Little baby nephew turned one and we had a big family party to celebrate. Then it was Mothers Day and my lovely boys spoilt me again.

April - a belated birthday celebration with someone special. A Morris dance out at Snape Maltings. Easter with loads of chocolate. My cute nephew with a cuddly orange I'd just bought him.

May sees that start of the proper Morris dancing season. We headed as a side down to Rochester in Kent for the first bank holiday weekend. We had a massive camp area with about 7 caravans and 10 tents. We danced all day on the Saturday and half the Sunday. One of the things I am now getting use to is having my pic taken by random people and I love hunting them out on Flickr at a later date. Here are just a few pics from the weekend - some taken by friends and others by random strangers!!

 Me and some of the other girls in the side

 Me again 

 and again

 Just one more!!

Once the dancing for us was done on the Sunday we headed to one of the pubs to a gig by a band we are good friends with and despite us all being tired most of us danced the whole gig!!

The following weekend I watched the Ladies Tour of Britain come through Suffolk - what a difference a week made - it was wet and a bit chilly but those girls didn't seem to notice as they whizzed by.

Last weekend was actually spent at home! Time to make an assault on my garden - weeds to clear, grass to cut and tubs to plant. Once it was all done - time to build the hammock and spent a little time studying the inside of my eyelids!! 

Right I think that's enough for today. Time to get sorted, hang washing out and then head to see one of my sisters and my little niece and nephew. I saw cute pictures yesterday of someone who is coming to live with them in a few weeks time and I need to hear all about it!!

See you soon 

xxx Vicki xxx